Fall Into Darkness
by Lora Darcy
Summary: Buffy Summers finds herself pulled out of Heaven and into…. Victorian England?
1. The Fall

Title: A Fall into Darkness Part 1/?

Author: Lora Darcy

Email: lora_darcy@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy Summers finds herself pulled out of Heaven and into…. Victorian England?  

Crossover with….  Well, you can't expect me to tell you *now*, can you?  Trust me.  It will be more exciting this way.  But don't worry, I promise mucho crossover fun.  And I guarantee you'll figure out what all this will be crossed with.  And be very happy.  It's a promise.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zilch.  Everything belongs to someone else.  People who are richer, more talented, etc than this lowly, broke college student.

Prologue

Panic.  Blinding panic.  Her peace had been broken.  For the first time in a long while she was feeling.  Feeling things dangerous and hard.  Something was going wrong.  Her contentment was slipping away.  Panic turned into pain.  Unbearable pain.  She had to make the pain go away.  She had to stay.  Desperately, she tried to fight and regain the unending calm.  But the darkness wouldn't stay away.  It was growing.  The peace was shattered, beyond repair.

She was falling, tumbling out of control.  The light was dimming.  And still she fell.  It couldn't.  It wouldn't.  Something was forcing her out.  The pain grew.  She couldn't think.  Couldn't react.  She could only fall.  Fall out of the light.

Chapter One

Buffy Summers was wet, which didn't make any sense.  She was supposed to be elsewhere.  In the calm-happy place.  But something had gone wrong.  Horribly wrong.  And she distinctly remembered falling.  She'd been tumbling away from the goodness.

Disoriented, Buffy realized that she was indeed wet.  And still falling.  Her eyes jerked open, fright and confusion again conquering her person.  She was wet because she was surrounded by water of a lake or river.  Panic returned.  Buffy's arms flailed, desperately trying to find the surface.  One of her feet gave a desperate kick, trying to remind her body of its presence.  Struggling, Buffy found herself remembering her past.  Air.  She needed air.  Buffy's lungs clamored for oxygen and Buffy found herself breathing in water.  There was a nagging thought in the back of her head.  The entire feeling seemed somehow atrociously familiar.  Buffy searched into her past, trying to remember what was wrong.  Horribly, a memory returned.  A visage of a hideously demonic vampire took over her mind.  The Master.  He had made her drown once, a long time ago.  That had been her first death.  Unless she reached the surface, Buffy was drowning again.

Buffy's legs tried to fight their way to the surface, but a long and rather heavy dress refused to comply.  Despite her best attempts, Buffy was still sinking.  Trying one last time to stop her descent, Buffy frantically raised an arm, battling against the water's current.  She felt it reach the surface, cool air hitting her hand.

The feeling of the air sent a jolt through Buffy's body.  This was wrong! All wrong.  She wanted to go back.  She could go back.  _Stop fighting_, she silently told her body.  _Stop it!_  A small smile crept across the drowning girl's face.  If she did nothing, she could go back.  They would have to let her go back.  She'd find that peace again.

But then, something was going wrong—yet again!  The light was not coming back.  It was refusing to come back.  They weren't letting her return.

****

Daniel dipped his oar into the water, moving his small rowboat down the river.  He smiled, enjoying the beauty of the late summer day.  He looked ahead, pleased with the stillness of the river.  Suddenly, his smile faded.  His deep grey eyes widened in puzzlement.  He could have sworn he saw a splash in the water up ahead.  Daniel shook his head, certain he was imagining things.  He looked again, concern etched into his face.  He was not imagining things. An arm was definitely thrashing in the water.  Gritting his teeth, Daniel dug his oar into the water, urging his boat to travel faster.  The oar entered the water, each movement bringing him closer to the small hand.  Daniel's muscles screamed as he reached the source of the splashes.  He cursed under his breath.  The hand had disappeared under the river water.  

_Don't be Daft_, Daniel though to himself, pulling both oars into the boat.  _There is probably nothing I could now.  Except manage to drown myself as well.  Still, despite his rational thinking, Daniel's body refused to stay in the boat.  He had to go in. He had to see if he could save the person.  His conscience would not let him act otherwise.  Trusting to luck, he took a deep breath and dove out of his small water craft and into the river.  _This is insanity_, his brain screeched at him.  Daniel ignored his mind's logic and searched for a sign of the drowning person he had spied moments earlier._

Success!  His hands found a thin, cold wrist.  Urgently, he pulled the wrist up towards the surface, kicking with his feet.  As his head reemerged above water, his arms found the girl's waist (for he could now see that he was, indeed, rescuing a girl) and dragged her to the side of the boat.  As awkwardly as humanly possible, Daniel somehow managed to thrust the light-weight girl into his small boat, while miraculously managing to keep his dinghy afloat.  Anxiously, Daniel clamored into the raft himself.  He leaned over the petite young woman, whose blonde hair clung to her face and neck.  He didn't know how he could help her.  Helpless, Daniel used his fingertips to gently brush the soaking hair away from her mouth.  He just hoped his rescue hadn't been too late.

****

Drops of water fell from Daniel's hands and hair, splattering against Buffy's eerily still face.  At last, Buffy opened her eyes as her body began to shake, racked by coughing.  The coughs continued and Buffy vomited up water.  Following a final deep hack, Buffy managed to look up, her eyes staring unseeingly at the young man leaning over her.  Overwhelmed for the first time in her life, the recently resurrected Buffy did something she had never done before: she fainted.  As she faded into temporary oblivion, her last conscious thoughts turned to Sunnydale.  She just hoped Spike would never hear that she'd passed out.  She'd never be able to live that down….

End Part One/Chapter One.  Please send me reviews—pretty please? 


	2. Something Wicked

Title: A Fall into Darkness Part 2/?

Author: Lora Darcy

Email: lora_darcy@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy Summers finds herself pulled out of Heaven and into…. Victorian England?  

Disclaimer: Again, I own absolutely nothing.  Alas.

Author Note: Well, yes, you guys have correctly guessed one of my crossovers.  I have indeed worked in _Daniel Deronda_ a bit, just because I like Hugh Dancy's portrayal of him so much.  This will be the most obscure crossover in the fic and it does not matter at all if people are familiar with _Daniel Deronda_ or not.  The rest of the fic will make perfect sense without any knowledge of George Eliot's story.  A BIG thank you to all of you who have submitted reviews!  I really appreciate it.  Hope this chapter, set in present (well close to it, anyway) makes ya happy.

Chapter Two: Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Sunnydale, 2001**

Willow Rosenberg sat at the Summers' kitchen table, staring at the broken urn of Osiris.  She couldn't explain why she had gone back to pick it up.  The ritual had failed.  _She'd failed.  Buffy was really gone.  Gone-gone.  As in, no more Buffy jokes, no more best friend, never-coming-back, stuck in eternal-hell forever, kind of gone.  And it was all her fault.  If only she'd been more careful.  Prevented the urn's destruction, at least until she'd properly completed the ritual.  _Damn it!_ _

The Scooby Gang was destroyed.  It wouldn't be the same again.  Buffy was dead.  Giles was gone.  And, judging from her complete incapability of resurrecting Buffy, Willow doubted her title as boss.  Sure, Xander had made her a sparkly plaque.  But somehow Willow didn't think she was really deserving of her plaque-ness.  Not right now.  Right now she needed a new one, one that said "Bad Person: Completely Incapable of Rescuing Best Friend from Horrible Hell Dimension."  Or something like that.

It didn't help that Willow had an icky sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  With Spike's help, the BuffyBot had managed to stop the scary biker vamps from taking over Sunnydale.  But that wasn't what was bothering Willow.  She knew the vamps were catching on.  It was only a matter of time before another demon caught wind of the BuffyBot's unusual behavior and came to stir up trouble in the 'Dale.  But she and her friends could cope.  They always did.  "Just another Tuesday night," Willow muttered aloud, trying to lift her spirits.  Her attempts at humor weren't working.

Xander walked into the room, a small smile on his face.  "Come on Wills.  We're all watching the good ol' bube tube.  A little _Passions, a little Hindi TV, bit of the Discovery Channel, later we can mock those guys over at _Dawson's Creek_.  Good times had by all."  He nodded, trying to prove his point.  "See?  Funness."_

"No," Willow said shortly, still gazing at the urn.  "I'm good here."

"Come on Will!" Xander exclaimed.  He wanted his favorite gal pal to get out of her self-induced funk.  It wasn't her fault that Buffy was still dead.  Maybe it was for the best that the spell had failed.  Maybe Buffy was meant to stay dead.  "We can even see if _Trading Spaces_ is on….."

"I'm good here," Willow insisted.  "Here.  In the kitchen.  Which is full of good… kitchen-y things."  She forced a smile on her face.  "Good," She repeated, lamely.

"Will…." Xander said tentatively.  "You're being all avoidy with us.  Think we haven't noticed?"

"I am not being avoidy!" Willow hotly replied.

"Uh-huh," Xander responded, dubiously.

"I'm not!  I'm just making with the thinking and the worrying and…." She raised her hands, exasperated.  "I just can't get over how badly I've failed Her.  I should've been able to do more.  And now…."  Sorrowful green eyes looked up at Xander.  "I just think….  I think that there's something coming.  Something bad.  And the BuffyBot's not gonna be able to handle it.  We won't be able to handle it."  She shrugged.  "Maybe I'm being all wrong about this.  Never claimed to be the one with the super spidery sense."

"We'll take it, Wills."  Xander stood behind Willow, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.  "Evil!  Hah.  We may only be a bunch of slayerettes, but it's going down!  Demons of the world, beware.  We've got the Hellmouth under control!"  He just hoped Willow wouldn't notice that he was afraid.  Willow wasn't the only one getting scary "impending doom" vibes from the future.  But hey!  Two witches, a vampire, an ex-demon, a robot, and a construction worker.  They could save the world, right?  Right…..  Xander just wished he had more confidence in his own thoughts.

****

Rupert Giles frowned, looking down at his watch.  He'd been waiting for his luggage for nearly 40 minutes.  Why did Heathrow's baggage claim have to always take so bloody long? 

Waiting had Giles far from pleased.  It allowed him too much time to dwell on the past.  He needed to keep himself busy.  That was why he had decided to move back to England in the first place.  He'd done his sodding job as a watcher and seen his slayer die in the line of duty.  The BuffyBot had been correct.  There wasn't any need for him in Sunnydale any longer.  At least back in London, he could get work done.  Keep his mind occupied and all that.  So far, he just wasn't doing a very good job of it.

At long last, his luggage carousal beeped.  His flight's baggage was finally coming around.  Giles spotted his large suitcases, complete with the bright purple ribbons Buffy had insisted he put on them years ago.  "Otherwise, how can you tell them apart from everyone else's?  Hmm…. Black, black, black. Oh look! Here's another black one. Must be mine."  Buffy's words ringed in his head.  He found himself smiling slightly at the memory.  His slayer had been good.  The best.

As he crossed over to claim his bags, Giles nearly tripped on a crumpled up newspaper.  In his haste to snatch his belongings, Giles didn't bother to do more than glance at the wrinkled paper.  His eyes only caught one word of the _Daily Prophet_ headline: "Missing."

****

In the dark, laughter could be heard.  He couldn't have planned things better himself.  Things were going well.  Very well indeed.

End Part 2/Chapter 2


	3. The Awakening

Title: Fall Into Darkness Part 3/?

Author: Lora Darcy

Email: lora_darcy@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Buffy Summers finds herself pulled out of Heaven and into…. Victorian England?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Zilch. 

Note: For the sake of my fanfiction Buffy was buried in her dress from "The Prom."

Chapter 3: The Awakening

Buffy's eyelids fluttered.  Disoriented, her unseeing eyes opened and darted frantically about.  She didn't understand.  Everything was muddled.  What had happened?  Where was she?  Nothing made any sense!

Buffy brought a hand up to her face, rubbing at her forehead.  She was wet.  That's right.  Things were starting to fall into place.  A chill crept up her spine.  Buffy's memories were returning.  Drowning.  She'd been drowning.  After….  After.  "No," Buffy whispered, closing her eyes against the onslaught of pain.  "No-oo….." She repeated, tears starting to pour down her cheeks, mixing in with the river water.  Buffy could remember.  Remember everything so well.  Too well.  Her mother's death.  Glory.  The Tower.  Dawn.  Her own death.  Heaven.  It was all so much.  Too much.  "Mommy," she gasped, sobbing.  "Mommy….  Make it go away....."

It was too much.  It was all too, too much.  Buffy's thoughts grew frenzied as she thought about her abrupt snatch from heaven.  But she started to become confused.  The entire experience was too much for her fragile mind.  Suddenly, her memories began to mix.  Her thoughts jumbled and everything important now seemed just out of reach.  Buffy could only try to sort through the mess of her mind.  She remembered brief glimpses, small shadows of her past.  But somehow, her mind was chaotic; Buffy's history was scattered together without any rhyme or reason.  Yet, the mayhem in Buffy's head was preferable to the earlier pain.  For a second time, Buffy opened her eyes. 

Daniel Deronda found he could only watch the girl in amazement as she cried.  He had never before seen anyone so incredibly miserable.  He furrowed his brow, unable to discern what was the matter with the girl.  She seemed to have survived her near-death experience, but obviously her bout in the water had some strange effect on her.  Daniel only wished that there were some way he could alleviate her pained tears.  No one should be allowed to be so clearly unhappy.  He desperately wished he could help her and save her from her despair.  Daniel blinked.  Abruptly, it seemed that the girl *was* indeed recovering.  He sighed in relief, as she opened her eyes.  "Don't be afraid," Daniel said, cautiously.  "You're quite alright now Miss."

Startled, Buffy looked up.  For the first time, Buffy noticed her surroundings.  A handsome man was leaning over her and speaking to her.  Buffy's senses went on high-alert.  She raised a fist.  Buffy knew she could take him, even if she was…. _In a boat?_  Buffy's thoughts distracted her.  _I'm definitely in a boat.  There's the rocking and the crampness from way too little space and it's definitely all boat-like_.  Buffy shook her head.  It didn't matter that she was in a boat.  What mattered was that a strange man seemed to be bending over her.  She lifted her arms again, prepared to fight lying down.

"You're alright now Miss," Daniel repeated, mistaking Buffy's fist for a sign of her shock.  "You were drowning and you…  I thought it best to try and jump in and save you….  I managed to get you out of the water.  You're safe.  Pray, trust me.  Tell me what I can do to help you?"

Buffy warily lowered her arm.  Just who was this guy?  And what language was he speaking?  Buffy's newly reawakened mind was a mess.  There were just too many things that refused to make sense.  _Miss?  Did he just call me Miss? Buffy knew that was not of the normal.  And yet, his manner of speaking put her at ease.  __I think…He has an accent?  But his tones seemed vaguely familiar.  Comforting._

"Where…"  Buffy swallowed.  "Where am I?"

Daniel let out a woosh of breath, relieved.  She could talk!  The girl must truly be alright. But wait— "You're American?" Daniel said out-loud, his surprise evident.

Buffy was silent.  Daniel blushed, afraid he had embarrassed her with his blunt question.  "I'm sorry; I didn't mean any offense…."

"Why'd I be offended?"  Buffy asked, shrugging.  She began to sit up in the boat.  "Yes, I'm… American.  Witness my Americanness!"  _Yes_, Buffy thought. _I am from the ol' US of A.._  And the boy's accent was British, she decided.  He was definitely British. She liked that about him.

Daniel couldn't help but be surprised by the tone of the young woman's answers.  He'd heard Americans were vulgar, but, never having met one before, had no idea exactly how vulgar.  He'd never heard anyone speak like that.  But, somehow, the girl's words suited her.  "We're on the Thames," Daniel finally said, answering Buffy's earlier question.  "Do you not remember?"

"Thames?"  Buffy repeated.  "Never heard of this Thamey thing.  Is that the river we're floating with here?  Or what?"

It was all that Daniel could do not to laugh.  "Yes, it's the river.  Quite famous, actually."  

"Right.  Right."  Buffy began to think.  "A famous river in…. England?"

"Yes, Miss."  Daniel was finding it difficult to keep quiet.  The young woman said the most fascinating things.  He wondered how she could be so clueless as to not know her location.  "How did you come to be in the river then?"  

Buffy grew still.  That was not a question she wanted to think about.  But inexplicably, her mind was helping her and prevented her from over-analyzing her earlier situation.  "I fell" was all she would say in response to Daniel's question.  Unconsciously, Buffy began to rub her hands across her arms, shivering.

Daniel mentally cursed himself.  He was also beginning to feel cold.  Why hadn't he thought of that sooner?  "You must be cold.  I wish I had my coat with me, but…."  Daniel gestured to his dark-blue shirt and trousers.  "I'm afraid I'm just as soaked."

Buffy stared at Daniel's clothes.  _They're weird._  She knew that.  Last time she'd checked, his clothes weren't the big hits in the fashion mall.  _But then, Giles was British.  And he dressed weird.  Way unfashionable.  A corner of Buffy's mouth lifted in a small smile.  She could just remember Giles, her watcher.  Giles.  She wished he was with her.  He'd know what was going on.  Know how to fix everything._

With a sigh, Buffy realized she didn't even know what she was wearing.  A quick inspection told her that her soaked dress was ruined and it was _From Prom.  My dress from the Prom.  Why would I…_  As soon as Buffy tried to ponder the possible reasons behind her attire, she found her thoughts drifted away.  Against her will, she was being distracted.  Instead, she found herself talking.  "My dress.  Not good for the swimming.  Definitely, a 'towel sold separately' item."

Her dress was unusual, Daniel noticed.  Clearly, before its wetting, it was made of some kind of unusually fancy material.  Additionally, it seemed rather immodest.  Daniel didn't know much about women's fashions, but he didn't think the young woman was dressed at all properly.  He realized he had been staring at her.  _Good one, Deronda!_  "I'm sorry…." He said again, trying not to blush.  "Pray let me carry you in my boat to wherever it is you are staying, Miss…???"

"Just Buffy," She replied quickly.  "Buffy Summers.  But try and steer clear of the whole 'miss' thing.  Not big in America.  Makes me feel all awkwardy and formal.  So yeah, just Buffy."  Daniel raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.  "And who're you?  You pull me out of the water, you offer me rides.  Now, I get to know you're name.  So cough up."

"Erm… Deronda," He replied.  "Daniel Deronda.  And, again, where is it you were before you, ahem, fell?"

Buffy frowned.  She didn't like his line of questioning.  Didn't like it at all.  Way too prying.  Way too thought-provoking.  She needed to move away from it, and pronto.  "Uh…."  She gave a fake little laugh, wishing she was better at covering things up.  Why was she always so bad at being crypto girl?  From all the people she'd spent time with, Buffy thought she should have learned to be an expert.  "I'm not sure.  Guess I've forgotten it in all the uh… excitement?"

"Are you sure?  You must allow me to take you somewhere safe.  Until you remember, I will take you to a lady who has daughters….  She lives near hear and is a friend of-"

"London!" Buffy interrupted.  "I need to go to London!"  _Giles is from __London__.  I get to _London___, I get answers.  No more with the spooky-dooky memory confusions._

"Pardon?"

"London!  I have friends in London….  I must have been with them before I fell and I uh am sure that they are back there…. In London," Buffy trailed off, rambling.

"I'm afraid we're not exactly very near London right now," Daniel admitted, desperately wishing he could take Buffy to the city immediately and help her.  "But, do trust me.  I will help you.  I can get you to London in time.  But until then, I can take you to my friends.  They are good people who will take care of you.  But I will get you to London, if that is what you desire."  There was something about Buffy that he was drawn to.  There was something mysterious, almost mystical, about Buffy Summers.  Daniel never knew who his mother was.  He couldn't help but wonder if his mother would have been a little bit like Buffy.  "I will get you to London," he repeated.  "That, I promise you."

"Thank you."  Buffy couldn't understand why it would take so long to get to London.  What, did Daniel think he'd have to row her there?  _Haven't these people heard of cars?  I know they drive backwards here, but God!  Do they go in slow-motion?_

Daniel began to ply his oar in the water, and the two traveled swiftly downriver.  Neither spoke.  Buffy studied Mr. Deronda out of the corner of her eye.  Everything else, even the clear water underneath them seemed horribly bright and harsh to Buffy.  Only Daniel somehow seemed different.  He was less _glaring, Buffy decided.  Trustworthy.  Safe.  He would help her.  That she knew.  And, once in London, Buffy hoped she'd be able to sort out her jumbled memories.  There were so many things she could only half-remember and so many more that refused to make any sense._

End Chapter 3.  Please R&R!  Should have another chapter up very soon-ish with more crossovery goodness.  Another, more familiar, fandom will be involved.


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